POSITION SUMMARY
The Courseware Developer builds military training content – Computer Based Training (CBT), Interactive Multimedia Instruction (ICI), student guides, and assessments – as part of a small team of Instructional Systems Designers, Courseware Developers, Subject Matter Experts, Multimedia Developers, and Training System Management. This is a growth-track role for someone with strong adjacent skills — QA, technical writing, multimedia, aviation training end-user experience, or classroom instruction — who wants to become a fluent courseware author.
The role starts with the parts of courseware work that don’t require deep authoring-tool mastery on day one: student-facing writing, QA of authored courseware, storyboard implementation, assessment build-out, accessibility and standards checks, and structured pair-work with a senior Courseware Developer. Adobe Captivate proficiency is expected to develop on the job — not required at hire.
The path forward is explicit: ramp Captivate authoring skill on production work under senior review, take on independent lessons, then modules, then full courses.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Spends 80% of time on hands-on courseware work — with a heavier QA, editorial, and pair-authoring mix in the first 6 months, transitioning to independent authoring as Captivate proficiency develops. Overlap into adjacent roles (SME dialogue, ISD support, multimedia coordination) is expected on a small team but is not the primary mission.
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QA of authored courseware. Test lessons and IMI builds for functional bugs, navigation issues, broken interactions, and learning-design fidelity against the ISD design. This is a natural strength for candidates coming from a QA background and a fast on-ramp into the tools.
- Student-facing writing. Draft and edit student guides, instructor guides / TGs, job aids, POIs, lesson plans, and quick-reference materials that align to the objectives set by the ISD.
- Assessment build-out. Implement written and scenario-based assessments to the ISD-specified pass/fail criteria — starting with straightforward item types and growing into branching decision trees and remediation paths.
- Storyboard implementation. Convert ISD-approved storyboards into working lesson pages and IMI screens under senior review; then, as Captivate skill develops, take ownership of the build end-to-end.
- Captivate ramp. Deliberately grow into Adobe Captivate as the primary authoring tool through structured coaching, paired authoring, and a defined skills ramp (see First-Year Ramp below). Cross-train on Articulate Storyline and Rise as opportunities arise.
- Accessibility & standards checks. Validate courseware against Section 508 / WCAG accessibility standards and SCORM 1.2 / 2004 packaging; escalate issues that need design changes back to the ISD.
- Media integration support. Coordinate with the Multimedia Developer to place graphics, animations, VO, and video into courseware with clean timing, states, and navigation.
- SME dialogue. Sit in on SME sessions with senior teammates; over time, take on independent SME dialogue for content clarifications — routing objective, sequence, or fidelity questions back to the ISD, not resolving them unilaterally.
- Traceability. Support traceability between ISD-approved storyboards, source technical data, and final courseware build.
- Defect Resolution Coordination. Identifies and tracks courseware defects through to resolution.
- Configuration Management. Maintains version and configuration control discipline across iterative storyboard and courseware revisions, consistent with formal configuration management practices.
- Learning-design curiosity. Build a working understanding of instructional-design fundamentals — chunking, retrieval practice, feedback design, cognitive load — so you can defend why a build looks the way it does, not just that it works.
- Customer-review support. Prep artifacts, gather review comments, and turn feedback into fixes on In-Progress Reviews and PDR/CDR-style events; grow into presenting your own work.
- Continuous improvement. Feed authoring and QA insights back to the ISD and senior Courseware Developer so future designs are more buildable and future builds have fewer defects.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Learning Design, Communications, English, Journalism, Multimedia / Digital Media, or a related field — or equivalent DoD training / QA / technical-writing experience.
- Adjacent experience. 1–4 years of professional experience in a related discipline: courseware QA, technical writing, instructional support, multimedia production, classroom instruction, or aviation / military training as an end-user. Direct courseware authoring experience is a bonus, not a requirement.
- Learning aptitude for authoring tools. Demonstrated ability to learn technical tools quickly — evidenced by prior work in QA test tools, LMS platforms, publishing / CMS systems, Adobe Creative Suite, or comparable software. Comfort clicking into unfamiliar tools and reading documentation is essential.
- Writing craft. Can produce clean, concise, learner-facing writing at pace; takes editorial direction well; distinguishes between decorative content and content that drives a learning objective.
- Attention to detail. Strong QA instincts — catches functional bugs, standards violations, broken links, misaligned assessments, and off-spec builds before customers do.
- NAVAIR context awareness. Some exposure to NAVAIR / military training conventions or a demonstrable ability to learn them quickly; interest in ADDIE / PADDIE+M and IMI Level I–IV constructs.
- Tooling ecosystem. Comfortable with Microsoft Word / PowerPoint / SharePoint / Teams; can operate version control on shared projects without breaking them.
- Clearance eligibility. S. Citizen. Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance; ability to pass a Government background investigation is required.
- Oklahoma City metro strongly preferred and on-site is the default work mode — essential for the coaching, pairing, and SME collaboration this role depends on.
- Wants to be coached. Takes design direction from the ISD and craft direction from a senior Courseware Developer without ego; asks questions early rather than guessing.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Active Top Secret clearance (SCI eligibility a plus).
- Prior QA experience on courseware, software, or training products — including test-case authoring, defect tracking, and regression testing.
- Any hands-on experience in Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Articulate Rise, Lectora, or a comparable authoring platform. Portfolio or work samples appreciated but not required.
- Working knowledge of SCORM 1.2 / 2004, xAPI, Section 508 / WCAG accessibility, or Interactive Courseware (ICW) / IMI Level I–IV conventions.
- Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Audition) or comparable design / media tools.
- Prior aircrew, aviation maintenance, or Naval Aviation operational experience (as a former end-user of the training being built).
- Coursework or self-directed study in instructional design, learning sciences, or educational technology.
- Experience in a small, cross-functional team — comfortable with ambiguity, rapid feedback, and shifting priorities.
- Familiarity in AS9100 environment is a plus. (This certification is crucial to our company's development and NGAS program specifically.)
WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Standard office environment in Oklahoma City, OK. On-site presence is the default — particularly for classified work, collaboration, and the paired-work model this role depends on.
- 9-80 Work week Schedule – 80 hours over 9 work days, with every other Friday Off.
- Occasional travel (up to ~10%) to Government sites, program reviews, and simulator / training-device facilities.
- Prolonged periods of computer-based work in authoring and QA tools; ability to review and produce learner-facing content for extended periods.
- Some work products are classified; ability to work in a SCIF-adjacent or classified space is expected.
